For details of the calculation method see below.
The basis for the UEFA coefficients is the performance of teams in the European Cups during a five year period. During that period each team gets two points for a win and one point for a draw (see below for matches in qualifying rounds).
In addition one bonus point is allocated for reaching the quarter final, the semi final and the final. Qualification for the group-stage of the Champions League is awarded with 4 bonus points (from 2004-2009: 3 bonus points, from 1995-2004: 1 point, before 1995: 2 points). Qualification for the first knock-out round of the Champions League yields 5 bonus points (from 2004-2009: 1 bonus point, before 2004: no bonus).
The so-called UEFA coefficients are calculated by taking an average, based on the total number of points divided by the total number of teams of each country. See the country coefficients of 2012 for an example of such a calculation.
The UEFA country ranking is computed by the sum of 5 coefficients in the last 5 years. See the country ranking of 2012 for an example of such a ranking list. To determine the participants in the Champions League and the Europa League the last year ranking is used, because each country should know at the start of the season how many places it disposes.
For the team ranking the match results in qualifying rounds do not count. From 2009 on qualification for the Champions League and the Europa League is rewarded with a number of points based on the reached qualifying round:
| Champions League | Europa League | |
| Q1 | 0.50 | 0.25 |
| Q2 | 1.00 | 0.50 |
| Q3 | - | 1.00 |
| Q4 | - | 1.50 |
| group stage | - | 2.00 (minimum) |
The UEFA team ranking is computed by the sum of 5 coefficients in the last 5 years. See the team ranking of 2012 for an example of such a ranking list. In this list the yellow lines with country information indicate the lowest possible value for a club of that country (even if the club didn't play any game in the last five years). The most recent team ranking is used for seeding of clubs for draws in the Champions League and the Europa League.
Before 1999 a number of strong teams in the UEFA Cup were seeded
such that those teams do not meet in the first two rounds.
To determine these teams,
the sum of the ratio of the number of points achieved, divided by
the number of games played by each team, was calculated for the past
five years.
Details of the calculation of the UEFA Coeffcients
Definition of terms.
cteams = number of teams per country, tpoints = number of points per team (team coefficient method), tmatches = number of matches per team, and cpoints = number of points per country (country coefficient method). ccoef = country coefficient per year, crank = country ranking over 5 years, tcoef = team coefficient per year, and trank = team ranking over 5 years.
ccoef = rounddown(cpoints/cteams, 3) crank = sum(ccoef);
trank = max ( tpoints, rounddown( crank / 5 ) ) 10-year trank = max ( tpoints + tile points, rounddown( 10year-crank / 5 ) )
tcoef = 0.20 * rounddown(cpoints/cteams, 3) + tpoints = ccoef / 5 + tpoints trank = rounddown(sum(tcoef) , 3)
tcoef = 0.5 * rounddown( 0.33 * (2*cpoints/cteams), 3) + tpoints trank = rounddown(sum(tcoef) , 3)
tcoef = 0.5 * rounddown( 0.50 * (2*cpoints/cteams), 3) + tpoints trank = rounddown(sum(tcoef) , 3)
tcoef = rounddown(tpoints/tmatches, 3) trank = sum(tcoef)
where
sum = sum over 5 years, and
rounddown(..., 3) = truncation to 3 significant digits after the decimal point.